Nicholas Russell, 6th Earl Russell

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The Earl Russell
Personal details
Born(1968-09-12)12 September 1968
Wimbledon, London, United Kingdom
Died17 August 2014(2014-08-17) (aged 45)
London, United Kingdom
Domestic partnerGeorgina Farrer (2005-2014)
Parent(s)Conrad Russell, 5th Earl Russell
Elizabeth Sanders
Alma materLeicester University
OccupationCampaigner, politician

Nicholas Lyulph Russell, 6th Earl Russell (12 September 1968 – 17 August 2014), styled Viscount Amberley between 1987 and 2004, was the elder son of Conrad Russell, 5th Earl Russell and Elizabeth Russell (formerly Elizabeth Sanders).[1] He succeeded to the Earldom of Russell on his father's death on 14 October 2004.

Like his grandfather, Bertrand Russell, he was an active member of the Campaign for Nuclear Disarmament, from his teenage years until his death.

By the House of Lords Act 1999, all but 92 hereditary peers were removed from the House of Lords – the abolition of which Russell advocated[citation needed] so he did not sit in the Lords.

Early life[edit]

Born in Wimbledon, London, on 12 September 1968, Russell was educated at William Ellis School in North London and studied Industrial Relations at the University of Leicester.[2]

Career[edit]

Russell was the disability rights campaigner for the Labour Party and was campaigns officer for the Royal National Institute of the Blind as well as Co-Chair and later sole Chair of DANDA:Developmental Adult Neurodiversity Association, an entirely user-led and user-run organisation, two of whose members and trustee-directors successfully asked the Disability Rights Commission (DRC) to set up a Neurodiversity Group, which was succeeded by the DRC Neurodiversity and Autism Action Group (NAAG), the only systematic human rights examination of Neurodivergent Rights in the world to date by an official human rights body of national or international standing, reporting in 2007. He also trained the Metropolitan Police Service. He was a regional board member of the Co-operative Group and was active in the Co-operative Party,[2] as well as SERA and Transport 2000.

He was also a longstanding national executive member of the Socialist Educational Association.[2]

He was actively involved in Disability Labour and was a former chair of the group. He was Disability Labour's first representative on the Labour Party's National Policy Forum, the National Executive Committee's equalities sub-committee and the Socialist Societies executive.

On 7 May 2010, Russell was elected as Labour councillor for the Cann Hall ward of Waltham Forest London Borough Council, a position he held for a four-year term until May 2014.[2][3]

Personal life and death[edit]

He lived with his fiancée Georgina Farrer in Leytonstone, until his sudden death from a presumed heart attack on 17 August 2014, aged 45.[4] A post mortem later confirmed the cause of death to have been due to thrombosis.[5]

Titles[edit]

  • The Hon. Nicholas Russell (1968–1987)
  • Viscount Amberley (1987–2004)
  • The Rt. Hon. The Earl Russell (2004–2010)
  • Councillor The Rt. Hon. The Earl Russell (2010-2014)
  • The Rt. Hon. The Earl Russell (2014)

References[edit]

  1. ^ Charles Mosley, ed. (2003). Burke's Peerage (107th ed.). Burke's Peerage & Gentry LLC. p. 3439. ISBN 0-9711966-2-1.
  2. ^ a b c d "Earl Russell: Champion of disabled rights whose successes included bringing about legislation regarding guide dogs". The Independent. 19 September 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  3. ^ "Local Elections - Thursday, 6th May, 2010: Cann Hall - Results". Waltham Forest Borough Council. Retrieved 26 September 2023.
  4. ^ Jane Russell. "Nicholas Russell obituary | Politics". The Guardian. Retrieved 21 August 2014.
  5. ^ "Earl Russell". The Times. 19 October 2014. Retrieved 26 September 2023.

External links[edit]

Peerage of the United Kingdom
Preceded by Earl Russell
2004–2014
Succeeded by